Stabber sentenced to two months

Shane W. Glacken pleaded guilty to stabbing his mother's boyfriend.

An 18-year-old Straban Township man who stabbed his mother's boyfriend during an altercation on Dec. 30 pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of simple assault and possessing an instrument of crime Monday in Adams County Court.

Shane W. Glacken was sentenced to two months of jail time and four years of probation under a plea agreement he entered into with the Adams County District Attorney's Office. Glacken has spent nearly two months in jail since being arrested and charged with the stabbing, which occurred at the York Road residence he shared with his mother and the victim, Donald Reaver. Glacken was also ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution to Reaver for his medical expenses.

Glacken will be eligible for release on March 2 or 3, according to officials.

As part of the agreement approved by Adams County Judge Michael A. George, the county's Children and Youth Services department will assist Glacken in securing housing and employment.

Police originally charged Glacken with aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment after the incident. Prosecutors added the charge of criminal attempted homicide at a preliminary hearing in January, despite testimony from Reaver that Glacken acted in self-defense.

Adams County Chief Public Defender Kristin Rice had maintained that the attempted homicide charge was not warranted.

"I didn't think under the circumstances that attempted homicide was an appropriate charge," Rice said Monday.

Advertisement

"This (plea agreement) is an appropriate resolution of the case."

At that January preliminary hearing, Reaver testified he was in a heated argument with his girlfriend, Shane Glacken's mother Susan Glacken, just before a physical altercation with Shane Glacken. He said Shane came up behind him and told Reaver to leave the house.

Reaver said he grabbed Glacken during the incident but did not hit him.

When asked if both men had their hands on each other, Reaver said, "He (Glacken) was defending himself."

Reaver said Glacken stabbed him twice in his left side and once in the lower arm. He was taken to York Hospital by ambulance and received three stitches in his arm and had his side wounds, which nipped his kidney, cleaned. He was held overnight for observation and released the next day.

In that January testimony, Reaver told the court that, prior to the altercation, he had consumed about a half-gallon of Captain Morgan Long Island Iced Tea, an alcoholic beverage that contains four different liquors.

Earlier this month, George had denied bail for Glacken because of a concern for his housing situation. Glacken told the court at the time he intended to live with his sister Shantae Dickson, but court documents indicated Glacken had a physical fight with his sister on the day of the stabbing and that they have a rocky relationship.

A caseworker for Children and Youth Services told George Monday she has been assigned to help Glacken with securing an apartment and other independent living needs.

Rice said because Glacken had been involved in foster care as a child he is eligible for services through the agency until age 21.

"He will be able to work with Adams County Children and Youth Services. They will help him secure housing and employment and whatever services he needs," she said.

George also offered some advice for Glacken.

"You're intelligent. You need to separate yourself from the environment that is going to pull you down," he said. "You have the potential to do good. Don't get caught in the crap."